Connors spent two weeks before he died planning the public memorial, which gets underway at the Peterborough Memorial Centre at 7 p.m., said Brian Edwards, a friend and president of Rocklands Entertainment, the company that represented Connors.

“Oh, nobody knew exactly what he wanted more than he did, and that’s typical Tom, through and through,” Edwards said Monday.

The event will be a mix of live music, video clips, family photos and remembrances of Connors delivered by close friends, musical peers and government officials, said Edwards.

Speakers will include former EMI president Deane Cameron and Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett and will include performances from former Rheostatics frontman Dave Bidini, folksinger/songwriter Sylvia Tyson, Nova Scotia countryfolk singer Cindy Church and Connors collaborators Dave Gunning and J.P. Cormier.